Page 11 - Wax & Words
P. 11
Paints and Media The Importance Papers and Adhesives
of Wax-Friendly Make sure your substrate is absorbent,
Encaustic artist Andrew Csafordi says:
“When working in encaustic, absorbency and that your collage papers and other
elements are also wax-absorbent. I address
of the wax into the material is a must, and Materials this in the videos, but if you have had a wax
number one! It’s simple. The wax must
absorb and fuse into the materials that one layer crack or peel off because there was
a slick non-absorbent surface underneath,
uses, as well as fuse to itself. That’s it. Short you’ll understand.
and sweet . . .if it will not absorb it will not
work.”
Non-absorbent papers include such things
as slick magazine covers, coated card stock,
Acrylic paints should not be used in photographic paper (particularly the glossy
combination with encaustic since acrylic is kind), waxed deli-paper and synthetic
water-based and not absorbent enough to papers like Yupo.
accept the wax. That includes acrylic mat
gels and medium as well as Gesso and acrylic
paints. Absorbent papers include things like
watercolor paper, construction paper, old
book pages, tissue paper, rice and mulberry
So how do you add glazes and painted paper, and pastel paper. You can test the
veiling to your collage and still have it accept absorbency of your paper by putting a drop
the wax?
of olive oil on the surface to see if it soaks
in.
I like using white tempera paint on the
under-layers because it has a velvety finish, As far as adhesives are concerned, I love
it can be diluted and tinted, and it can be using washable glue sticks for putting my
scratched into while wet. It takes an over-
glaze of walnut ink beautifully, and it creates encaustic collages together. Acrylic gel
medium (which work great when you’re
beautiful “veils” of translucency.
not using wax) just doesn’t play well with
encaustic. While the glue stick bond is not
In and of itself, tempera paint is not totally permanent while you’re working,
waterproof when it dries, as acrylics are, but
when wax is layered over it, white tempera it does heat-fuse when the wax layers are
applied.
becomes beautifully ephemeral, yet pemanent
under its coat of wax. White tempera paint Washable glue sticks are a great adhesive
is a wonderful discovery for all kinds of Left: Image attached with mat medium, then waxed - wax for collages that will be enhanced with wax.
mixed-media work. cannot penetrate
Right: Image attaced with wax-friendly glue stick
Wax & Words 11
